


Made of love

by Wolfspirit29



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27103234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfspirit29/pseuds/Wolfspirit29
Summary: Originally posted on FF.Story suggested by user Kilare T'suna (user on FF).A Garnet swap story.What if Garnet fell in love with Greg instead of Rose? How would things change?
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I got asked this a LOT on FF so, to be clear about it here.  
> .  
> Steven has 1 gemstone, on his chest. It is dark red, and square.  
> .  
> It gets explained later in the story, but basically  
> .  
> Garnet 'fused her gemstones together when she gave birth. And it is on his chest, as a nod to 'when it rains'  
> .  
> (When the gems are all about to warp, and she says, "wait, Steven. There's o e more thing I have to tell you! I love you!" And she makes a heart shape over her chest)

It was a calm night. The mission was successful. Rose Quartz, Pearl, and Amethyst were all sitting around the temple. Garnet smiled at them as she warped into the temple, and sent the bubbled gem away to the burning room.

Rose looked up and smiled. "Oh, Garnet! Welcome back. How are you feeling? That corrupted gem was a bit tougher than usual right? You took a bit longer than usual."

The fusion shook her head. "Oh, no Rose. I finished off the gem in a few minutes. We were just thinking. It is a beautiful night."

Rose nodded, smiling slightly. "What were you two thinking about?"

Garnet hummed quietly before responding. "We're thinking about getting to know some humans. I mean, it may be useful to our missions. If the humans are aware of us, and the corrupted gems, they could help keep us informed if they see any."

At this Rose eagerly stood up, running up and hugging Garnet. "Oh, Garnet! You won't regret it! Humans are so fascinating!"

She just chuckled and hugged Rose back. "Alright, I'm going out. Not sure where I can go, since humans usually sleep when it's dark. But I may just enjoy the night."

As the fusion walked around Beach city she noticed that most of the buildings were dark, and there were no humans around. However, in the distance she noticed very bright light, and heard a human's voice.

She decided that she would start here. As she followed the voice she had noticed that chairs were set up in front of a stage. However, no other people sat in those chairs. The human on stage had lights on him, and he sang as if he were performing to a massive crowd. His black shirt was torn, the star in the center being interesting to her, and his long hair waved in the breeze that had picked up. As he kept singing about hearing the universe call his name, and how he didn't have to be afraid, she found herself smiling widely.

It was true that humans lived far shorter, less significant lives than gems. But something about this human seemed so different. He looked very young, in terms of being a human. Despite this, his voice held a certain wisdom to it. As he finished singing Garnet smiled and started clapping, being mindful of her gemstones.

She saw him smile, and heard him speak into the mic. "Thanks for coming. If you head on over to that table my manager Marty is- oh. He left. Well, guess I'm heading over there."

As he hopped off the stage, Garnet walked over to the table, and picked up a CD. She let out an amused chuckle. "Heh. Space train to the cosmos? How funny."

The human blinked at her, an awestruck look in his features. "Oh! Uh... yeah! One way ticket and I'm ready to ri-yide!"

Garnet just stayed quiet, smirking at the cover of it. "Mr. Universe, huh?"

Greg smiled widely. "You can keep that. Oh, here, have a free t-shirt!"

As he reached for it he looked over at her. "Oh uh...maybe a bigger size would work."

He raced to his van and Marty popped out of the back. "Starchild! This is Vadalia!"

"Hey, there." He smiled slightly.

"So, how many copies have you sold?" Marty's eyes shone with a greedy shine.

"Oh! There was one woman here! I have to get her free...t-shirt..."

As he looked around he noticed she was gone.

"Greg! You can't give away anything for free! What about my 70% cut? Zero plus zero is still zero."

With a sigh, Greg ignored the manager's ramblings and sat in the back of his van. Vadalia and him talked for a few more minutes before Marty got in and started driving. As they drove Marty was rambling again, talking about going on to bigger, better cities, and how Greg would become famous, with all the ladies wanting him.

A small smile crossed his features. "I met a woman tonight."

Marty smiled at him. "Oh, boy! What was she like?"

Greg smiled wider. "Tall. with a soft looking afro. Smooth voice. Mysterious..."

Now Marty laughed at him. "See Greg? This is your problem. You want one big woman when you could have multiple small ones."

At this, Greg scrunched his face up. "Uhg. Marty, women are people. Anyway, I'd only want to be with one person."

Marty huffed. "That doesn't matter! Once you actually start taking the bigger cities, we'll be rolling in the riches!"

As he turned to look at Greg he let out a gasp. "Marty! Keep your eyes on the road!"

With a gasp, he veered roughly to the side, and the van crashed into a small ditch. "You're missing the point, Greg! Just do as I say!"

Now, Greg felt a swell of anger. "Why do you get to decide everything?"

Marty glared at him. "Because I'm the manager. I know what you want."

Greg stared at him in disbelief. "What if I want to go back?"

A sharp glare came from Marty. "What?!"

Another swell of anger, and he stood up, leaning towards the driver's seat. "What if I want to go back and be with her!"

Marty shoved him slightly. "Sit down, Greg! You're just some starstruck kid! You don't know anything."

That was it. "Get out of my van."

A sigh escaped Marty. "Calm down, Greg."

Greg jumped out of the back, roughly pulling the driver's side door open. "I said get out of my van!"

He threw Marty out, and started to drive back to Beach City. As he parked near the beach he looked around. There was a tall woman with pink hair sitting near the ocean.

As he darted up to her, she turned to him. "Hello there! Isn't it a nice night?"

Greg smiled sheepishly. "Oh, yeah. This may sound odd, but have you seen a tall lady around? Uhm...big afro, really red skin, like a tomato kind of red. Smooth voice. uhm..."

The woman stood up. "Oh! That's Garnet! Were you the human singing on stage?"

He nodded quickly. "Yeah! The name's Greg Universe!"

She laughed slightly. "How adorable! My name is Rose. You're welcome to come back to the temple with me. Garnet is there."

Greg nodded again. "Thank you, Rose. I'd like that."

The two walked around the beach until Greg saw a large statue. It appeared to be old, as some parts of it were crumbling. "Woah. Is that some kind of goddess? Well, a statue of one?"

Rose shook her head. "Not quite."

Garnet walked out of the entrance at the base of it with a smile. "Welcome back. I knew you'd be here."

He smiled widely, and ran up to her, handing her a t-shirt. "Here, you left before I could give this to you! What was the rush?"

She just shrugged. "I had to go on a mission."

Greg gawked at her slightly. "Woah. A mission? Are you some...agent?"

Another chuckle escaped Garnet. "No. Come on. We have a lot to talk about."

As they both walked off to sit at the edge of the water, Rose smiled widely. "I think Garnet likes this one!"


	2. The power of love and friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven doesn't quite understand how to summon his weapon. But then, he meets a girl on the beach

Steven was currently standing on the beach, exercising to some funky pop music. He stepped in rhythm to the beat and pumped his fists in the air. The young hybrid had been told by Rose that his mother used to train with music in the background.

His eyes fell on the dark red garnet gemstone on his chest. "Ok, I'm ready to do some intense training! I gotta focus...and clear my mind at the same time. Wait... how did Pearl put it? I need to...focus on the wind and some leaves? And also feel my gem's energy. But there are no trees nearby...hmm maybe Amethyst's way could work. I just gotta...feel it...and go with the flow."

Steven started dancing by himself, stomping his feet and moving to the beat. After a few minutes of this he glanced at his gem. It had no change, and he let out a groan. "Come on...activate. Go? Please? I wanna learn to use my weapon. I need to go on missions with the gems."

He tapped at the gemstone, and shut his eyes tightly. "Ok...so going with the flow didn't help. So, I'll try Pearl's way. Focus and feel my gem's energy."

His eyes scrunched tightly as he focused and he let out a groan as he started to concentrate. "Come on...missions...gem powers...being a Crystal Gem!"

After a few more minutes of nothing happening he sighed and went into the house. "Hey guys. I'm back! Anyone home?"

Rose came out of her room and smiled at him. "Hello, Steven! I saw you on the beach. What were you doing?"

The hybrid glanced at his gem again with a sigh. "I was trying to summon my weapon. But nothing worked. Hmm...maybe if I get a shirt with a dark red tint...and some black pants? Like how mom wore! Hmm...should my star be on my shoulder? Maybe my hair needs to be poofier."

At this Rose laughed softly. "You're perfect just the way you are, Steven! Garnet's power came from love. She loved herself, Ruby and Sapphire loved each other, and Garnet loved her friends and your father. She would have loved you too."

Steven smiled at Rose as stars appeared in his eyes. "Really? But Amethyst said mom was mysterious, and strong, and wise! And Pearl said she always knew what to do! And you said she was very protective of Earth! I don't even have any powers...I can't protect anyone without powers."

When his smile fell Rose walked over to him and knelt down next to him. "Don't be silly, Steven. I've told you that when Garnet first formed she was unsure, didn't I? But eventually she got used to herself, and grew into a wonderful being. It will just take time."

He looked at his gem again. "Rose? Do you think I would be able to fuse someday? And would I be a strong fusion like my mom?"

She smiled and nodded at him. "I believe so. Just try not to worry about it. You'll grow into your powers too."

With a nod Steven looked back at the door. "Ok! In that case, I'm going to go ride my bike! I love my bike, and today is a nice day! Maybe that will help me faster!"

Rose laughed softly and gave him a nod. "Alright, Steven. I will see you later."

As he struggled to pedal through the sand he eventually looked over to the back of the temple. There, he saw a girl in a light blue dress, sitting on a red blanket, reading a book. It looked like it was a fantasy book and Steven smiled.

He considered his options and glanced over to his bike. Rose said that Garnet loved her friends and family. So, maybe if this girl was his friend it would help him get stronger. And, having friends was never a bad thing. It helped keep him happy when the gems were on missions. Sometimes it was lonely when the house was empty.

Steven hopped on his bike again and struggled to pedal towards the girl. Her eyes glanced up at him and she nervously tucked her head into the book. "U-uhm...hi. Do you...need something?"

He smiled at her again. "I was just curious about the book you're reading. I like books, but I don't get to read much."

The girl blushed and nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "Oh it's uhm...it's just a fantasy book. It's called Unfamiliar Familiar. It's about a girl named Lisa and her spirit guardian who is half falcon. I...really like it."

Steven laughed slightly. "That sounds cool! Do you...mind if I uh...read with you?" His cheeks flushed slightly and he shifted on his feet. At this, the girl happily nodded. "You...want to read with me? Okay! I can fill you in on the plot if you need!"

He happily walked over to her and sat down. "Sounds good! Oh, my name is Steven! Steven Garnet Universe. So, what happens first?"

She looked at him with an odd look, "Universe? Is that a real last name? Oh! Uhm...sorry. That was probably rude. My name's Connie. Connie Maheshwaran Anyway! So first..."

As the two kept reading they slowly got more absorbed in the book, and didn't notice a blue crocodile-like creature walking towards them. It let out a screech as it got closer, and knocked Steven's bike over.

Connie looked up quickly and gasped. "Wh-what is that?! Steven, we need to run!"

He nodded and stood up. "It's a gem monster! We need to get back to the temple!"

"Gem monster? What do you-" She gasped and stepped back as it stepped closer.

Steven quickly grabbed her hand. "No time to explain! We need the gems!"

As they ran the gem monster chased them, and Connie cried out as it snapped at her, catching her by her hair.

The hybrid quickly turned around. "Connie!"

She got up and stumbled. "My glasses! I can't-"

A cry escaped her as the gem monster knocked her down. As she looked up at it, all she saw was a blue blurry figure, and a shining stone on it's right leg.

It got closer and Connie trembled in fear. The creature lowered it's head and it's mouth opened. Her eyes closed as she waited for it to attack her.

Steven quickly ran forward. "Connie! Hang on!"

He went to hit the monster, and a flash of red light surrounded his fists. As his fists connected with the monster's head he noticed two large gauntlets. "Wow...is this from my gem?!" It seemed to stun the monster, as it stopped moving temporarily.

The hybrid quickly snapped out of his awe, and grabbed Connie. "Are you ok?!"

"I-I don't..." She shuddered, and Steven quickly bent down to get her glasses.

"Here, these should help. Come on.." He grabbed her hand again and started running.

Connie nervously looked back, and was relieved to see the monster still stunned. As they got closer to the temple, Rose walked out. "Steven. Who is this? Is she a friend of-"

He quickly cut her off. "Rose! There's a gem monster! Sorry for interrupting...but I stunned it and it may get back up!"

With a nod Rose quickly ran towards where she saw Steven run from. There was a large puff of blue smoke, and Rose came back with a gemstone in a floating pink bubble.

Both Connie and Steven let out a sigh of relief and the human girl sat on the steps of the temple. Her body shook slightly from the adrenaline and she was breathing deeply.

Steven looked at her nervously. "Are you ok...?"

After a few minutes she stood up quickly. "Are you kidding me?! What was that? How did you get those gloves? What even happened?!"

He smiled sheepishly. "Uhm...it's a long story. I guess my life is kinda like your fantasy books in a way?"

She let out a tired sigh. "Clearly. I...sorry. I didn't mean to yell. That was just...something."

Rose smiled at the two, and started walking up the stairs. Before she went into the house she playfully ruffled Steven's hair. "See? I knew you could summon your weapon."

Steven smiled widely and suddenly hugged Connie. "Oh my gosh! You're right! Connie, Thank you! Rose! I did it! I'm an official Crystal Gem!"

The girl looked at him in confusion, and Rose smiled at her softly. "Don't worry. He can explain. You should come inside. Humans need food and water. Especially after the run you did."

Rose walked into the house, and Steven happily followed her. After a few minutes Connie followed him as well. She sat on the couch and listened to Steven and Rose as they explained gems and who the Crystal Gems were.

By the end of it Connie was smiling slightly. "So, your life really is like a fantasy book!"

He nodded at her happily. "Yep!"

She laughed slightly. "Well then. I guess you could say I'm your familiar! Without all of the falcon instincts."

Steven smiled widely. "Wait! Does this mean we're friends?"

Connie nodded at him. "I think it does."

He cheered and hugged the girl tightly, causing a small blush to form across her face.

Rose laughed and left the two of them alone to talk.


	3. Strawberries and bubbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven goes on his first mission

It was a rainy day outside. That wasn't a problem though. Steven loved all forms of weather. Right now, he was texting Connie. The gems left on an important mission, and he was left home alone.

11:34 AM

Hey Connie! How are you doing today?

As he waited for a response he glanced down at the dark red gemstone on his chest. Steven had been trying to summon those gauntlets again, but it wasn't easy. He had done it once or twice since he met Connie a few weeks ago. Of course, he wanted to go on missions with the gems now. But, they had still said no.

Well, to be more specific, Pearl and Rose said no. Amethyst was hyped for the idea, happily rambling about having somebody to goof off with, as well as somebody that could use gem powers.

His phone dinged as he got a response.

11:39 AM

Hi, Steven. I'm doing good. But I have some questions that I forgot to ask about your gem.

Steven quickly responded.

11:41 AM

Oh! Of course. What do you want to know?

It only took seconds for Connie to respond.

11:41 AM

Ok, so your mom was a fusion right? So she had two gems? Why do you only have one? And what about her two gems' powers? What powers do you think you'd have?

Steven smiled, remembering him asking all of those questions himself when he was younger. It felt good to feel needed right now though, having important gem information. He responded with an even wider smile.

11:43 AM

Ok. So, I have one gem because when I was born, my mom kinda fused into me? Her gems were on her hands, but apparently she made a heart shape on her chest before I was born. And it kinda fused the stones together. And into my chest. Rose said it was an act of love. And Rose said she was a Ruby, and a Sapphire. Ruby and Sapphire both had elemental powers, Ruby with fire, and Sapphire with ice. And Sapphire could see the future! Cool right? Well, Garnet could make electricity, and also kinda see the future. She could see all the possibilities. I don't have any of those powers though.

He set the phone down, and frowned slightly. It was true. He didn't have any of Garnet, Ruby, or Sapphire's other powers. 

He could summon Garnet's weapon. But other than that, he didn't have any other powers. He didn't even dream. He found that odd. Having a gem made him think that he would dream of all kinds of cool, gem stuff. But, every time he slept it was just calm, darkness. Maybe dreaming was some kind of power for him.

A ding on his phone brought him out of his thoughts.

11:51 AM

It's ok Steven. I'm sure that you'll get more powers if you keep practicing! It may just take time. Maybe you aren't old enough yet? Or maybe you can fuse? Fusion could help with your powers, right?

Before Steven could respond, the warp pad activated. The gems stood there, and a pink bubble contained a green, square gem. Steven happily stood up and ran to them. "Guys! You're back! Is that the gem of a monster you guys beat?"

Rose nodded, and the bubble disappeared. "It was. But we can't stay. We need to go hunt a gem in the strawberry battlefield."

Amethyst shrugged. "It'll be no big deal. In, out, bam! Done."

Pearl hummed slightly. "I'm sure we'll be back before dark. I hope you aren't too lonely here, Steven."

At this Steven gasped. He had heard of the location, and could only wonder about the gigantic strawberries. They would probably make great pies. "Can I go with you!? I have been practicing summoning my weapon! I can help."

Amethyst happily cheered. "Aw yeah, Steve-o! You should totally-"

Pearl cut in. "Steven. You still have a lot to learn. I don't think it is a good idea for you yet."

Now Rose spoke, smiling softly. "You know what? Why not! I think you can do it, Steven."

Amethyst and Steven cheered, while Pearl looked over at her nervously. "Rose, are you sure? I mean, he may not be able to summon his weapon. And he may not have the energy to travel the field. He's only half-human."

She smiled again, and nodded. "I think it's time Steven goes on his first mission. It will be fine, Pearl. Come on, Steven."

They all waited on the warp pad.

Before he joined them on the pad, he quickly texted Connie that he was leaving. "Alright! I'm ready!"

After they arrived, Steven gawked at the field. "Woah! Look at this place! It's amazing! But why are there so many weapons?"

At this, Pearl jumped in happily. "Oh, Steven! This used to be a great battlefield! We, the Crystal Gems, had one of our biggest battles here!"

Rose nodded slightly. "Yes. Garnet was fond of this place. She used to talk about how amazing it was that plants could grow on old, war-torn battlegrounds."

Amethyst huffed slightly, and ran over to the nearest giant strawberry. "Yeah, and they're also really good! Check this out, Steven!"

She opened her mouth and took a huge bite out of it. Steven smiled widely. "That looks tasty! Are you sure it's safe?"

The purple gem nodded, speaking with her mouth full. "It jutht thtrawberrieth!"

He happily ran over to one, and bit into it. The giant fruits were incredibly sweet, and Steven happily kept taking small bites.

Pearl groaned. "Come on, you two. We have a mission to complete."

As they kept walking, Steven constantly had to wave off butterflies that tried to get the strawberry juice. After a while, they arrived at a large bundle of roots.

Steven smiled at that. "Woah, is this where the gem is?"

Rose nodded. "Yes, it seems to hide in the roots."

He rushed ahead happily, and Pearl quickly chased him. "Steven, wait! It could be dangerous!"

Amethyst chased him to, laughing happily.

Rose quickly followed, wanting to make sure that nobody was hurt.

Steven tripped over a stray root, and smacked into the wall of roots. A rumble shook them, and after a few seconds, a corrupted gem flew out of the root pile. It looked similar to the butterflies that were chasing Steven.

The Crystal gems all summoned their weapons, and got ready for it to attack. The gem monster looked around, and it's eyes landed on Steven. With a cry it flew towards him.

Pearl quickly shot a beam of energy at it, but it's wings seemed to deflect the blast. Amethyst caught it with her whip, but the quick flapping threw her off. Rose quickly got in front of him, and it smacked into her shield.

He looked at her nervously. "Why is it going after me?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure. You should step back for a bit though, we can handle this."

With a disappointed look he nodded. "Ok...I guess it would be safer."

As he ran behind some strawberries, the gem flew straight into the air, before diving towards him. Pearl spoke quickly. "Steven! Run!"

He tried to run faster, and the wind from the gem caused him to fall over. The strawberry he fell on burst slightly, spraying pink berry juice everywhere. The gem noticed this, and flew down, licking up the sweet juice.

Steven smiled softly. "Aw...it just wants some strawberries."

Rose quickly ran towards him. "Steven! Keep it distracted! We need to poof it!"

He tossed a chunk of strawberry towards it. After a few minutes, it quickly ate it. Rose used the opportunity to slice at it with her sword.

It's form poofed, and a purple gem landed in the soft ground. Steven quickly ran up to it, along with Rose. She gave him a smile. "Thanks for distracting it."

Steven frowned slightly. "What?! You're the one that defeated it."

Pearl and Amethyst walked over to them. Rose spoke softly. "Yes. But if you had not distracted it, it may have gone after one of us. You did well."

At this he smiled widely. "Really!?"

Amethyst laughed and hugged him. "Heck yeah, man! You made this mission fun!"

Pearl now smiled softly. "Well, I must admit, you did well for your first mission."

Steven now gently held the gem in his hands. "Well. This one seems to be kind of docile. It really likes sweet food. Maybe some day we can make it happy! It just seems to want fruit."

A red bubble formed around it, and Steven gasped. "Woah! Is this from me?"

Rose squealed happily. "Oh, Steven! You bubbled a gem!"

He looked at it, with stars in his eyes. "I did?! How do I send it away?!"

Now Pearl spoke softly. "Just think of home. And tap the top."

As he did so, the bubble teleported away.

The Crystal gems all went back home, and the gems retreated to their rooms. Steven smiled widely, and raced to his phone. "Oh man! I need to tell Connie!"


	4. Storms and dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven has his first dream. But it all felt so real.  
> When he goes on another mission with the gems, he puts the dream to use

Lightning, thunder, and rain crashed and boomed outside. This storm had been pouring down hard all day. Even reaching into the night, apparently. Steven had been inside all day because of it. That wasn't a problem though, he trained indoors. A lot of time was spent trying to open his mother's door. He questioned if it could even open anymore, as her two gemstones had been fused into one at his birth. So far, he had no luck.

From what he understood, he room was more like a strange cave. There was a pool of lava in the center of it. Rose said it was where all the bubbled gems were kept.

When he asked her how she got to them, she told him there were ways through the temple. However, when he got excited, she gently told him it was far too dangerous for him to travel inside of it. So, he had to wait.

Right now, he was getting ready for bed. The gems had been on a mission for a while now. Rose had left him a note. All the Crystal Gems had signed it, and Steven thought it was kind of nice. It showed him that they all thought of him while they were gone. Also, that they all cared for him.

'Steven, we have a big mission to go on. Pearl thinks we may be gone for all day at least, so you will be alone for a while. We'll try to hurry. Stay safe.

-Rose

-Pearl

-Amethyst

P.s. Please try not to do anything risky. Don't overwork yourself'

Before he laid down, he made sure all the windows, and the door were firmly shut. It was always tiring to clean up water and sand if the door or windows blew open in a storm. Once that was done, he laid in his bed, curling under the blankets with a sigh. "Goodnight, Beach City."

As he drifted to sleep, the lightning and thunder shook the house. It helped him sleep, acting as a lullaby straight from mother nature.

0

He was waiting for...something. The gems were all with him. They seemed to be in some ancient ruins. Rose was hovering in the air, looking for something.

Pearl and Amethyst were both looking around the area, while Steven was waiting, and listening.

A sudden cry sounded from nearby, and Rose quickly landed on the ground. She sounded anxious. "Steven! Be ready! It's heading this way!"

He nodded, and summoned his gauntlets. "Ok! Pearl, Amethyst! It's here!"

The two gems quickly joined them, and summoned their weapons.

From a nearby ruined building, a large bear-like creature crashed out with a roar. It was brown, and orange. There were light brown stripes along it's body, and it's gemstone was on it's forehead.

When it saw the gems, it roared and charged at them. Rose held her shield tightly. "Ok, gems! Don't let it separate us!"

Once it got close enough, it curled into a ball. Energy started to form around it, and the gems all jumped out of the way. Realizing it hit nothing, the corrupted gem uncurled, and turned to growl at them.

Amethyst snapped her whip at it, and when it wrapped around it's neck, it screeched in anger. It turned around, and spikes launched out from it's back.

A gasp escaped Steven, and he ran for her. "Amethyst! Look ou-"

There was a puff of light purple smoke, and her gem fell to the ground.

Steven ran to grab her gem, and looked up just in time to see the creature charging at him, in a ball of energy.

0

He gasped, and shot up in bed. His body was coated in sweat, and he jumped as he heard the temple door open.

Pearl stepped out of her room and he scrambled down the stairs to see her. "Pearl! Where's Amethyst?! What happened? Are you all-"

She looked at him in shock. "Steven. It's okay! What do you mean? Are you feeling well? Have you been sleeping? You need plenty of it, you know. You humans and your silly needs."

When she touched his forehead he looked at her curiously. "What? Th-the mission! We went on one earlier. There was a gem, and it shot spikes at us, and Amethyst poofed, I tried to get to her and then-"

Pearl shook her head. "Steven, we got back around dawn. There has been no other mission, and Amethyst is fine."

He let out a hum. "It felt so real. I wonder...if I had a dream? Maybe it was in the future!"

She put her hand on her chin, and let out a thoughtful hum. "I...suppose. You have been trying to use your gem powers. Even if it is not great, you can summon your gauntlets relatively easily. Maybe you are gaining a new power."

Rose stepped out of the door now, along with Amethyst. Steven smiled widely. "Amethyst!"

When he tackled her in a hug, she nervously hugged him back. "Woah, ok little man. What's the deal?"

Pearl looked at Rose. "It seems Steven may be gaining a version of future vision."

Now Rose smiled down at him. "That's wonderful, Steven. But, we can test it later we need to go on a mission. You can come with us if you want! We'll be going to an old, gem ruin from when the Bismuths were building-"

He held onto Amethyst tighter. "Wait! I saw this in my dream! There's a brown and orange gem monster with stripes! It curls into a ball and charges us, and then Amethyst gets poofed by a spike it shoots at us, and-"

Rose patted his head. "It's ok. You can tell us where it comes from then. We will be on guard, and I am sure we will all be fine."

With a slow nod he let Amethyst go. "Ok. Let me go get dressed, and then we can go."

After he was dressed, they warped to the ruins, and Rose looked at him. "So, since you saw what happens, lead the way Steven!"

He looked at her in shock. "Wha-me? But why?"

She smiled at him. "You can help us here. We believe in you."

Steven seemed to think for a few seconds before nodding. "Ok, if you believe in me! Let's see...we went over here..."

As he stepped into the center on the field, he looked around at all of the old buildings. The other gems followed him, and waited for further instructions.

After scanning the buildings he noticed the one the gem was in. He summoned his gauntlets. "That one. I don't know if that is where it is now, but that's where it comes from."

The others summoned their weapons, and Amethyst aimed her whip. "So all we gotta do is scare it out, that'll be easy."

Pearl spoke up. "Amethyst! Don't be so reckless. We need to think of a way to get it out without making it angry enough to charge."

Rose hummed. "I have an idea. Pearl, shoot the top with your spear, when it charges I will use a large shield to distract it. Steven help me out with my shield, use your gauntlets to charge it with electricity. Amethyst charge your spin attack, use a lot of energy to add some damage. Once I drop my shield, hit it with everything you have."

Amethyst smiled widely. "Aw, heck yeah! I'm ready!"

Pearl let out a hum. "Are you sure this is the best option? What if it doesn't work?"

She smiled at her. "I will be here to poof it. We can handle it."

A sigh escaped Pearl. "Ok, Rose. I trust you."

When she shot the roof, it collapsed. A loud roar sounded from the rubble, and the creature jumped out. When it saw them, it started to run at them. Once it jumped into the air, Rose summoned a huge shield, and Steven put his hands on it. An electric charge moved from his gauntlets to the shield.

He spoke quickly. "Amethyst! Charge up!"

She did so with an eager grin, rolling into a ball. Purple fire-like energy surrounded her. Once the ground beneath her started to crack Rose called out. "Pearl, grab Steven! Be ready to run once I drop my shield."

With a nod, Pearl held onto Steven, ready to run.

Rose spoke again. "Ok, Amethyst. 3...2...1!"

The shield dropped, and Pearl ran quickly carrying Steven with her. Amethyst launched forward, and the force of her attack made her go straight through the gem's body.

It poofed quickly, and Amethyst landed, bubbling it. "That was easy!"

She looked over to Steven. "Hey, do you want to re-bubble this? It was your dream that helped us."

He shook his head, and smiled at her, "No way! It was you that poofed it! You're super strong Amethyst!"

Amethyst chuckled, and blushed slightly. "Thanks. Let's send this to the temple, and then celebrate!"

She tapped the bubble, and it disappeared. Steven ran after her as she bolted for the warp pad.

Rose laughed softly. "Well, Pearl. I guess we should join them. We did good today."

Pearl nodded, and went to join Rose on the warp pad.

As they returned home, Amethyst and Steven raced off to the big donut.


	5. Teardrop mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven is given a mirror with a gem on it's back.  
> After befriending it, he realizes it is alive, and releases it.

Steven was talking to Connie on the phone. He was excitedly asking questions about what she did during the other time of the year. "So...what is 'school' anyway? And it is open all year except summer?"

Connie chuckled from the other side of the phone. "School is a place where you go to learn. It closes during summer for fun, I think. Summer means swimming, ice cream, cooking outside on a grill. Things that are hard to do if it is raining, or snowing. But, I get to hang out a lot more now! Summer vacation started today. I just need go to tennis practice."

With that, Steven smiled, and said his goodbyes, before rushing to the warp pad as it activated. Rose and Pearl stood there, and Rose sent a bubbled gem away. Rose smiled over to him. "Hello, Steven. How was your day?"

Steven bounced eagerly, laughing slightly. "Rose! Pearl! I learned about something from Connie! It's called 'school' and it has desks, and books, and a lot of things! I want to try it!"

Pearl laughed slightly, but smiled at him. "Eager as ever to experience something new. Very well. Shall we get started with this 'school' of yours?"

Once everything was set up, Rose gave Steven a large smile. "This is so exciting! What's next, Steven?"

He looked at the pile, and shrugged slowly. "I...don't know? I didn't ask what to do next! I just know it's where you go to learn things."

At this, Pearl gasped and rested her hands on his shoulders. "Oh, Steven! Why didn't you say you wanted to learn sooner? Me and Rose would be happy to teach you! Even Amethyst could help somehow, I'm sure! What did you want to learn?"

He saw her shining eyes, and gave her a shrug. "I'm not sure. Connie was talking about 'lesson plans' and 'homework' and 'grades' so I don't know where to start. She did say that they sometimes watch educational videos in class though."

Pearl let out a sing-song hum of joy. "Oh! Like a visual presentation! Wonderful, I have the perfect tool!"

Her gem glowed, and a mirror with a blue gem on the back materialized. Steven gawked at it, and smiled widely. Pearl handed it over to him. "This mirror can show you anything it has seen. Like this...show me the galaxy warp!"

The mirror did nothing, and Pearl frowned. "Show me the galaxy warp! I know you've seen it! What's wrong with you...?"

As she looked it over, she shook her head. "No cracks, chips, or fissures anywhere. Rose fixed it...so why is it not working?"

Rose let out a hum. "Maybe the gem power source finally gave out. We did find it by the warp. Who knows how long it was used by Homeworld?"

Pearl let out a small sigh. "I suppose that could be possible."

Steven smiled slightly. "Well, I still like it! Can I keep it?"

Rose nodded at him. "Sure, Steven. Have fun!"

He dashed out the door eagerly. "I will!"

As he walked down the boardwalk he had an idea. "Hmm you are still a mirror. I know! I'll walk backwards. You can be my eyes. I'll be alert constantly then!"

Steven went down the boardwalk before Lars ran into him from the side, and a dull thud echoed through the air. "Hey! Watch where you're going! You...Steven...!"

The younger boy smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Lars. Why were you running though?"

Lars quickly got up, and picked up a box that landed on the ground. "Oh, crud! Sadie is going to kill me."

He looked at Lars quizzically. "Why? Is there something important in there?"

A groan escaped Lars. "Decorations for the summer. I gotta run. Go ruin somebody else's day."

Once he left Steven sighed. "Yeesh. I wish he'd be a bit nicer."

As he kept walking, facing forward this time, he heard Mayor Dewey's van somewhere. He ignored it, and kept walking. After a few minutes the sound got louder and the mirror activated. "Hey! Watch where you're going! ...Steven...!"

Steven gawked at the mirror. "You repeat things?!"

A loud squeal of brakes, and loud honking drowned out his thoughts. Mayor Dewey popped out from his van. "Hey! Carwash kid! Stay out of the way!"

He slowly stepped to the side. "Mayor Dewey? Why were you driving on the boardwalk?"

At this, the mayor laughed. "I can't be expected to walk everywhere. I need these legs strong to welcome the summer rush! Farewell!"

Once he left, Steven smiled widely. "I have a great idea! You repeat everything you hear, right?"

The reflective surface started to ripple, and it showed Steven looking at the mirror. "...right?"

He smiled widely. "This is awesome! Come on! Let's go talk to literally everybody! That way we'll have plenty of things for you to use!"

Once again the mirror rippled. "This is awesome! Steven...is...nicer."

With a victorious fist pump, he ran after the van. "You made something new! This is great!"

After he spent all day out on the board walk he went back to his house. Pearl looked up at him. "Oh! Steven! You're back. You were gone all day. Did you have fun?"

His eyes had little stars in them. "Yeah! Me and the mirror hung out all day!"

Rose giggled slightly from somewhere in the kitchen. "Cute! You made friends with a mirror. Did you name it?"

He looked at it. "Hmm...no it never told me it's name."

At this Pearl looked at him with concern. "Wait...told you...? It's just a mirror, Steven. It's not supposed to talk."

Steven shook his head. "This one does though! Hey, buddy? Come on, show the gems!"

The mirror rippled, and it mixed together multiple words.

"Not...just a mirror. Steven is...nicer...than...the Crystal Gems. Pearl had you in her gem. I wish you...were going to...the galaxy warp. I'm a...gem...too. See? My gem is right here, don't be a jerk! I know you can see it! I'm a...gem...too."

Now Rose was gawking at it. Her tone was suddenly serious. "Steven...what did it tell you?"

He lowered the mirror, holding it to his chest slightly. "You...don't like it? But this is my friend. We've just been doing friend things. We talked to literally everybody in town, and now it can say a lot of things!"

Pearl got up, and quickly walked over to him. "No, no, no Steven. This...gem is not your friend. Rose...it's a Lapis Lazuli. How many of those did we have in our group?"

Rose was slowly walking towards them. "Not many. The only ones we had are bubbled. So this is from Homeworld."

Steven looked at the mirror. "Homeworld? You mean you're from space? Cool! Can you show me something?! Oh man, what is space like? Oh...uhm... It's nice to meet you Lapis Lazuli."

The mirror rippled. "Nice to meet you...Steven. Homeworld...Steven... going to...galaxy warp."

Rose quickly reached for it, her tone suddenly serious. "Steven! Hand the mirror over to me! You can't let it out!"

He looked up at her. "Let it out? You mean the gem in the back? Why? It likes me."

She scowled slightly. "No! Steven, give me the mirror! This gem is from Homeworld! If you let her out she could hurt you!"

Steven frowned at her. "You always talk about second chances though! And you are the one that always tells me mom loved her family, and friends. Lapis Lazuli is my friend."

Rose huffed slightly. "Steven. The mirror."

Pearl reached for it. "We have no choice but to take it from you."

He gasped and shoved Pearl's hand away. "No!"

An electric charge formed around his hand, and zapped her. Rose and Pearl both looked at him in surprise. His eyes fell to his hand. "Oh...I'm sorry!"

While he ran to the beach, he noticed the water creeping up the shore. The mirror's surface rippled, and Steven looked at it. "What do you need?"

When it spoke, the water moved even closer. "Steven. Let...me...out! Steven...is my friend!"

He stopped as he turned the mirror over. Rose and Pearl ran towards him. Their voices sounded angry, and urgent. "Steven! Get back here!"

In a flash of light, the two fused into Rainbow Quartz, and Steven yelped, running faster. As he pulled the gem, the water moved closer, wrapping around his ankles.

After a few seconds, the gem popped out, and he lost his grip on it, as Rainbow Quartz grabbed him. The gem floated closer to the deep water, and started to glow. As she formed, she landed on the surface of the water.

Steven looked at her in shock. "Lapis Lazuli, you're here! Now what do we do?"

She looked at Rainbow Quartz angrily, then glanced at Steven. "Don't trust them Steven. They don't care about gems. They knew I was there...but did nothing!"

A pair of wings formed from her gem, and she raised the water. It slammed down against Rainbow Quartz, holding them in place. The water gently pulled Steven away from them. "I have to leave. Steven. Thank you..."

Before he could respond she flew up into the sky. The water disappeared, and Rainbow Quartz un-fused. Amethyst came running from the house. "Woah, dude! What happened? I came out of my room and...Rose? Pearl?"

Pearl looked furious, while Rose shook her head sadly. Rose spoke first. "Steven. You...that was...not good."

The lithe gem folded her arms. "You're grounded. No television for 1,000 years."

Steven gawked at them. "But...why? I was trying to help a lost gem get home!"

Rose let out a tired sigh. "Go in the temple. We have a lot to discuss."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, when the mirror is repeating things, it's implied that Steven had multiple conversations with each resident of Beach city, as well as talking to the mirror directly, to try to fill out the mirror's vocabulary.  
> .  
> And the lines of 'don't be a jerk! My gem is right here!' Is a nod to the original pilot, when Steven tells Lars that he was a gem, and was going to protect the world with the Crystal Gems


	6. A new threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper, and Peridot arrive on Earth

Steven sat with the gems, trying to process everything he had just been told. "So...let me get this straight. You guys, including my mom, were from a gem home planet. And you served these...gem leaders called the diamonds. But the Earth was a new colony for Pink diamond. And to colonize planets, they used injectors. Which killed all life in the area..."

At this, Amethyst flinched slightly, and folded her arms. Steven ran a hand through his poofy hair. "And...You started a rebellion, Rose? And that started a huge war. And then...you..."

He looked up at her, his eyes pleading. Rose frowned, and rested a hand over her gem. Her voice was solemn. "In order to protect the Earth, I shattered Pink diamond. The others were furious, and that...caused the corruption of all of my gems. Those gem 'monsters' you see? There were once just like us."

Steven grabbed at his gem, his hand trembling. "But...there's no way! You're so nice, and good! You'd never shatter somebody! Right...? I mean...you lied to me...if it's true there's no way you...you can't care about everyone, and believe in second chances, and believe in love if you shattered somebody!"

Now Pearl spoke, her voice slightly angry. "That's enough, Steven! We didn't want to do this! We had to. To protect the planet, and humans. If we hadn't, you would not exist. Garnet would have been shattered, there would be no Earth at all. You're just...too young to understand."

At that, Steven frowned. "But, it could have been different! If Pink diamond was a ruler, why didn't she do something?"

Rose looked down, and her fingers clenched into a fist. "Because...she wasn't respected."

He shook his head slightly. "But, you were one of her soldiers, right? Why didn't she just ask her gems to help?"

She sighed softly. "It's not that easy, Steven. Homeworld is very different than Earth."

Steven groaned slightly. "Maybe it's different now. Maybe the other diamonds can forgive you. It's been a long time, right? If you try to show the how great the Earth is, and that people can change, maybe they'd like it here."

When Pearl went to talk, her voice caught in her throat, and her hands flew to her mouth.

Rose just stayed quiet, and looked down.

Amethyst stormed off to her room.

After a few minutes, Steven sighed and stood up. "I'm going to see dad..."

As he left, neither Rose, or Pearl said a word.

He walked to the carwash, and saw Greg washing a car in the parking lot. "Hey, dad!"

The man turned, and gave him a smile, and gave him a big wave. "Steven! How's my little man doing?"

Steven walked over to him, and hugged him tightly. "I just learned some...stuff...about the gems."

Greg looked slightly uncomfortable. "Oh boy. What was it? Your mother always said you'd learn about the history. I just didn't think it would be so soon."

With a sigh, Steven sat in the back of his dad's van. "The gems are actually aliens. And, these aliens have to kill planets to make more gems. The Earth could have died, and Rose shattered somebody..."

He nodded and sat down in the back of his van. "Yeah. Your mother told me about it. She told me about gems being shattered for being themselves. And about many gems never having any kind of different ideas. Your mother's gems, Ruby and Sapphire, were made for a purpose. Rubies were common guards. And Sapphires see the future. And that's all they did. Until they fused."

Steven sat with him, and sighed slightly. "If Sapphires see the future, why did there even have to be a war? Why do gems need to be shattered? They could have seen other possibilities..."

Now Greg shrugged slightly. "I don't really understand it either. But that's why Rose fought. For a better future."

A small sigh escaped Steven. "But it's not better, is it? So many gems turned into monsters. And the diamonds lost one of their family members. I just...I don't like the idea of war. It's so...brutal. How many gems were shattered...? And what if it's different now? Maybe the diamonds could see what love is. War isn't good."

Greg nodded, and put an arm around Steven's shoulders. "No it's not, but I guess Rose thought it was what had to happen."

Steven sighed slightly. "And now Rose, and Pearl,are away from home and think they can never go back...and Amethyst has never even seen her own Homeworld."

Before he responded, the sky became a dull green suddenly. Both Greg and Steven looked up to see a large floating hand. Greg gawked at it, while Steven quickly stood up.

He sounded nervous as he spoke. "Dad! We gotta go to the gems! This looks serious."

Greg twisted his shirt nervously. "Is this a gem thing? What even is it for?"

Now Steven shook his head. "I don't know. But the gems might. I'll be back."

When Steven got close to the temple, he noticed the gems all staring at the approaching hand. "Guys! What's going on?"

Amethyst stayed quiet, her eyes wide. Pearl had her hands over her mouth, her entire form trembling violently. Rose gave him a serious look.

Her voice was very grim, and the tension in the air was so thick, it felt like it was choking the air from his body. "Steven. You need to leave. Pearl has already informed the mayor, so people should be leaving. I have packed some things for you. Lion will accompany you as well."

Steven's eyes locked on the floating ship. "Are there Homeworld gems coming? Maybe we can just talk. Let's just...talk."

Rose let out an annoyed groan. "Steven! You have to go! We'll handle this!"

At Rose's tone, Steven flinched slightly. "But...I..."

When she made no effort to change her stern look, he nodded slightly. "...ok."

He ran into the temple, and grabbed his bag, before running back to the carwash.

Greg looked at him nervously. "That hand is getting closer. What did the gems say?"

With a sigh, Steven crossed his arms. "We have to leave...the town is evacuating. I think...it's Homeworld gems."

A nervous sound escaped Greg. "What are the gems going to do? They can't fight an army! There's only three of them!"

Steven nodded. "Rose was serious...she wanted me to leave..."

He looked at his father with a hurt look, and Greg sighed. "She's right. We do need to leave. There's no way we could fight them."

As Greg followed the line of cars out of the town, Steven thought of everything the gems told him. He thought of the battle stories, and how his mother, Rose, and Pearl had fought against their Homeworld. As his thoughts kept racing, he realized Amethyst had never fought against Homeworld, since she was made on Earth.

When he realized that, a growing pit of concern formed in his stomach. If Amethyst couldn't fight them, that cut the team down to two. A wave of guilt crashed into him, and his head snapped to look at Greg. "I need to go back."

At that, Greg's eyes widened. "No way, Steven! You're just a kid! And you're all I have left of your mother! Look, I'm sure the gems could handle this!"

Steven rested his hands over his gem. "But dad! If only Rose and Pearl can fight, then it could be bad! Amethyst has never fought any Homeworld gem! What if she gets hurt! Pearl, and Rose know what to expect!"

A sigh escaped Greg. "But you don't know what to expect either! If you try to fight, you'd only be hurt!"

His gem glowed and his eyes started to water. "Please, dad! I can't let them get hurt. They're my family, too! I love them!"

In response, Greg stayed quiet, and kept driving. Steven clenched his teeth angrily. "Dad! Dad...please!"

After a few seconds of silence, Steven's gem glowed even brighter. "Stop the car, now!"

A wave of energy flowed from his gem, and the van slowed to a stop. Greg looked confused, while Steven just grabbed his dad's arm. "I have to go back..."

Greg frowned, but finally nodded. "Ok...I guess I can't stop you. Especially if you keep shutting my car off. Just...be careful."

With a quick nod, Steven got out of the van, and Rose's lion was waiting for him. "Lion!"

The pink cat gave him a look, and Steven sighed. "You need to help me, Lion. Please, they could be in danger. I know Rose sent you to watch me...but this is important."

With a roar, a portal appeared, and Steven smiled. "Thank you, Lion."

They both entered to portal, and appeared on the beach. A burst of light shot at the ship, but it deflected the light easily. Rose and Pearl looked at each other, and fused into Rainbow quartz. They used their umbrella to launch energy at it. It had no effect, and Steven summoned his gauntlets. "Let me try."

Amethyst, and Rainbow quartz both jumped, and the fusion fell apart. Pearl shot up immediately. "Steven! What are you doing?! It's too dangerous!"

Rose looked at Lion sharply. "You were supposed to protect him, Lion!"

Finally, Amethyst gawked at him. "You came back..."

He shot electricity at it, and it did nothing.

Rose gasped and stood in front of him. "It's too late. Just...stay hidden."

The ship landed, and a large gem stepped out. Her eyes fell on the group and she sneered at Rose.

"Rose Quartz. I finally found you, traitor!"


	7. The return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gems are captured, Rise's secret is revealed, and they are headed to Homeworld

The battle was fast, and violent. Jasper curled into a ball, and launched at them. A green gem used a holographic screen to aim the ship. When it fired both Pearl and Amethyst had to dodge quickly. Pearl grabbed Steven, and pushed him back. "Steven, stay back!"

Amethyst curled into a ball, revving and charging at Jasper. There were purple flames around her as she charged. With one swift kick, Jasper flung Amethyst into the air. As she fell, Jasper punched her roughly just above her gem. Her form poofed without a sound. When she turned to Rose, a helmet formed on her head.

Rose ran at her, drawing her sword. At first, it seemed ok. She was blocking Jasper easily. As the fight continued, the green gem shot multiple beams of energy at them. When Rose went to block a hit, Pearl rushed Jasper. With a sneer, Jasper hit Pearl with a strange tool. Yellow lines of energy formed on her body, and she poofed.

Jasper gave Rose a sadistic grin. As Rose ran to get her gemstone, Jasper rushed at her in a ball. This time, the green gem shot as well. Rose tried to block, and evade. However, with a rush of Jasper's energy, as well as the strength of the beam, Rose poofed as well.

Steven felt his body tense, and his heart thumped wildly in his chest. Any fear he felt was replaced with anger as Jasper reached for the pink gemstone. "Let them go!" He ran at her, summoning his gauntlets.

When he lunged at her, his electricity flowed through his hands, and he struck her. A small crack formed across the glass of her helmet. His anger disappeared quickly, and he felt dread building in his stomach. His eyes fell on the gems. Pearl's stone seemed ok, as did Amethyst's. However, as he looked at Rose's gem he noticed it looked very different from Amethyst's. They were both quartz gems, so why did Rose look so different?

Jasper seemed to realize this as well. "Wha-? My diamond...? What is this?!"

As Steven tried to grab the gemstones, Jasper jerked away angrily. "That's enough! What are you? Some kind of filthy organic? Why do you have a gem's abilities? What kind of gem are you?"

At that, Steven glared at her. His voice was angry as he spoke. "My name is Steven Garnet Universe! And I won't let you hurt my family, my planet, or my friends! Give them back!"

When he reached again, Jasper grabbed him, holding him above her head. "You won't touch my diamond! I will bring you and these traitors to Yellow. You will suffer!"

He looked at her with fear. "You're diamond...? You mean the others back on Homeworld? Please, just let them go!"

Jasper sneered at him. "Not a chance."

She hit him with her helmet, and everything went black.

Steven slowly woke up, hearing a gem arguing with somebody else. As he slowly sat up, he flinched in pain. When he reached up to feel what hurt, he flinched again. His eye was swollen, and was very sore. He stood up slowly, trying to be quiet as he listened. One of the gems was Jasper. The other gem he did not recognize. And the last one, which barely spoke, sounded like Rose.

He tried to strain his hearing to understand what all of them were saying.

'Jasper! Be reasonable! Pink diamond has been gone for many millennia!'

'That doesn't matter! Now that she is back, I follow her orders!'

'Please, you don't need to follow me. The other diamonds would never understand.'

'My diamond, I apologize. But Yellow diamond would love to hear of your discovery. It is great to see you alive, after all.'

'Yellow diamond will be furious! She wanted you to destroy the rebels!'

'And I did! They are all in cells, and the cluster will emerge.'

'Yellow diamond specifically told you to shatter them! Not capture them!'

'It doesn't matter now! They're here, and the cluster will destroy the planet! You do not control me! You're a Peridot!'

"Please, Jasper. I do not want to see my planet die. Just try to understand, I will help you. It may take time. But please...life is too precious to throw away for some geo-weapon."

'You don't understand! We can't just stop the cluster! Yellow diamond will be furious! The ship is set for Homeworld!'

'I'm sorry, my diamond. But it is the truth. I believe you returning to Homeworld will be a good thing.'

'Will you at least release my friends?'

When he heard this, he quietly stepped towards the yellow force field. As he touched it, a tingling went through his finger. He saw the lines stretch across his skin. With a gasp, he yanked his hand away. Once he realized nothing happened, he pushed his entire arm through.

With a deep breath he stepped through the entire thing. A small shiver escaped him, and he looked around. There were a few yellow lines stretching across the green ceiling.

After a few tense seconds he quietly ran ahead, following the lines. He heard a gem yelling angrily. Her voice sounded like Amethyst and he ran faster. A part of him was thankful the other gems kept talking, distracting any noise she made.

Once he got close enough, he let out a nervous whisper. "Amethyst...! It's Steven! Here...let me help."

From inside the cell, Amethyst gawked at him. "Wait, dude how did you get out? These cell walls are like...painful!"

He pushed his arm in, and made an opening for her. "S-s-s-see? It's easy! Come on-n-n-n...!"

Amethyst scurried out, and grabbed him, pulling him into a hug. "Dude, you're ok...! Your eye...what happened? Where is Rose? We have to find Pearl too."

Steven nodded. "I know. Look at the ceiling. It has two more yellow lines. We have to be quiet though. We don't want to get caught again."

She nodded, looking serious, which was odd for her. As the two followed the closest yellow line, the saw Pearl in a cell. She was angrily slashing at the walls, tears running down her face. They noticed her mouth moving.

When they got closer they heard what she said. 'Rose...how could I let this happen...? How could I have been so careless...?"

Both Steven, and Amethyst walked up to her, Amethyst speaking first. "Yo, P. We're here. Come on, let's find Rose."

Pearl jumped, and let out a small yell. "Amethyst...? Steven?! How did you get out? What are you doing here?! What happened to your eye, Steven?!"

Steven held his hands up, looking fearful. "Pearl...! Shhh, you gotta be quiet. Come on, let's get you out. The last line must lead to Rose."

He stepped halfway into the field, and held his hands up. When the field opened, Pearl still had to duck slightly. She started running towards the other line, ignoring Amethyst's warnings.

As they followed her, Steven heard an angry yell, followed by Jasper's voice. "How?! How did they get out?! Peridot, scan for them! My diamond, stay behind me. I know you called them friends, but they are dangerous, they are traitors!"

Steven let out a nervous sound. "Guys! We gotta book it. Jasper's looking for us!"

Finally, they got to the last cell. However, instead of Rose, it was Lapis. She sat in the corner, her head resting on her knees.

He quickly ran over to the cell. "Lapis! Why are you in prison? Here, let me help you!"

She jerked up at his voice. "Steven?! How are you-wait! Don't touch that, it's...ok...? What...?"

The half-gem looked behind him nervously as he heard loud footsteps, and the crackling of electricity. "Come on, Lapis! We gotta get out of here!"

Amethyst ran in, and grabbed her, pulling her out. When they all started to run, Lapis angrily pulled away from Amethyst. "Don't touch me! Why can't you Crystal Gems just do something right for once! We can't disobey them! It will only end in us being hurt!"

Steven frowned at her, and shook his head. "But, Lapis...they already hurt us. They locked everyone up, and-"

A loud yell cut him off, and everyone looked behind them to see Jasper running at them. A much smaller green gem, who Steven thought could be Peridot, was controlling a small mechanical device. Another gem, a tall pink one ran after Jasper.

She quickly got in front on everybody else, and raised her shield. It looked exactly like Rose's. Jasper slowed, and stopped, nervously holding the same tool she used to poof the gems. "My diamond, please stand aside."

The pink gem shook her head. "I won't. They are my family, the Crystal Gems. I can't let you hurt them."

Jasper looked hurt at that. "My diamond! What about Homeworld?! What about the other diamonds? What about your court?! About me...?"

She looked even more pained as she said that. The pink gem lowered her shield. "Jasper, you care for me, right?"

At that, Jasper nodded quickly. "More than anything, my diamond."

With a nod, the pink gem glanced at the others behind her, and then at Jasper. "Than please, I beg you to try and understand. We can all talk. I will explain everything..."

They all sat in one room, listening to the pink gem. Everyone received the news differently. Amethyst was more shocked than anything. Pearl had her hands over her mouth, trembling slightly. Lapis seemed angry, even disgusted. Peridot seemed to be filling out a report. Jasper sat, quietly listening to the gem, a conflict playing out in her eyes.

Steven gawked in amazement. "Wait! You're Pink diamond?! Rose Quartz wasn't real?! So why didn't you stop the war?!"

She shook her head. "Later, Steven. I'll explain that later. For now, Jasper. Can you understand? Even a little?"

With a sigh, Jasper ran her fingers through her thick hair. "You are unhappy on Homeworld. That's why you ran. And there is nothing I can do to make you happy, my diamond?"

Pink diamond shook her head. "Not if it means going back to being a ruler on Homeworld. The system is broken. However, I see things differently."

After a few silent seconds, Jasper spoke. "Very well. Then I will join you, my diamond. I will be on your side."

Her form changed, and the yellow colors on her suit became pink.

When Pink diamond flinched, Jasper looked at her curiously. "I do not want another war, Jasper. You do not need to follow me. I am just happy to know you understand in some way."

She nodded, and looked over at Peridot. "Are we still on course for Homeworld?"

Peridot nodded, and closed her report. "Yes. We will arrive shortly. I hope you are prepared."

Nobody responded, and a wave of tense silence followed them for the rest of the trip. Steven had a feeling there was a large storm coming.


	8. Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They gems arrive on Homeworld, and are separated

As the ship entered Homeworld's orbit, Steven shifted nervously.

Pearl and Pink diamond both were tense, visibly uncomfortable.

Amethyst was more anxious than anything, never having any experience with Homeworld, or it's laws.

Lapis looked terrified, her arms wrapped around her body

Both Jasper, and Peridot looked ready, however slightly worried.

Steven spoke, breaking the silence. His voice was unsure, and nervous. "Hey...Pink diamond? Do you think...maybe we should have gotten a gift somehow? I mean, me and Amethyst have never met the other diamonds, and you and Pearl are coming back after a really long time. So, maybe a gift would make things more cheerful."

A small sigh escaped Pink, and she shook her head. "This won't be easy or fun, Steven. This is really, really dangerous."

Pearl fell to her knees silently, her body trembling. As tears ran down her face, Steven sat next to her. "Pearl...? Don't cry. I'm sure it will be ok. It's been a really long time, right? Maybe the diamonds will listen now. Maybe Pink diamond running would show them what was wrong."

Lapis gave him a tired look. "Steven. That's not how this works! Even a diamond would be punished for something this big! We're all most likely going to be shattered or imprisoned."

Amethyst ran her hands through her hair. "This is nuts! We have to fight or something! We can't just let this happen!"

Jasper sighed, crossing her arms. "You may be defective, but you still have a quartz gem's will to fight. I'm sure the diamonds could use you."

Peridot let out a hum, and the ship landed. "The Amethyst may have use, as well as the Lapis Lazuli. Even if she is from a very old era. She could learn how to handle things. The pearl will most likely be re-programmed, and re-educated. As for you, weird hybrid thing, I'm sure the glorious diamonds could have some use for you."

Now Steven crossed his arms. "Why are you talking like this?! Aren't you on our side?"

She sighed, and her holo-screen disappeared. "I will do what is right for my diamond. I was made to serve her. Bringing Pink diamond back will surely please her. Your tiny emotions are of no concern to me."

Steven frowned slightly, and glanced at Pink diamond. She was looking ahead, her eyes tired.

Peridot led them to the warp entrance of the ship. "We're here. We need to go. The diamonds are waiting."

An orb surrounded them all, and they were lifted up through the ship's ceiling. As the orb disappeared, Jasper stepped in front of Pink diamond.

She still sounded eager, even in this situation. "Please, my diamond. Allow me to guide you to the palace."

Pink stayed quiet, and looked down slightly. When Jasper started walking, Pink followed her.

As everyone stood still, Peridot gave them an annoyed look. "Don't just stand there. The diamonds are going to want to see this."

Steven looked around, amazed at the high-tech looking buildings all around them. "Woah, this is Homeworld? Everything looks so...advanced!"

Pearl grabbed his shoulder, squeezing so tight it hurt. "Ow...pearl?"

She was looking at him with disbelief. "Now...now isn't the time to be playing Steven...!"

Peridot rolled her eyes, and her fingers floated to them, jabbing at them all slightly. "Stop that! Just, follow them! Stop wasting time!"

A glare came from Pearl, and Peridot huffed at her. "Somebody's going to need a lot of re-education. If you do not start walking right now, I will destabilize your forms, and take your gems directly to the diamonds."

With that threat hanging in the air, everyone slowly started to walk after Pink and Jasper.

After a while, they entered a large building. The walls were all whispering to themselves, and Steven cringed at them. "Uh...are those...gems?"

They all looked at him, before quickly going silent, and staring ahead.

As Jasper led Pink, and they all followed after them, Steven nervously glanced down at his gem. The red gemstone stuck out easily against his skin. He was concerned with what the diamonds would end up doing. He didn't trust Peridot, or what she said.

After a few more minutes of silence, Jasper stopped in front of a door. She stood still, before angrily looking back at pearl. Her voice was angry. "Hey, pearl! Don't you remember what you're supposed to do?!"

With a sigh, Pearl walked in front of them, and tried to open the door. When it didn't respond, she frowned and tried again. It still didn't open, and Jasper stomped in front of her, shoving her aside. "You'll have a long way ahead of you in re-education."

Jasper opened the door, and turned to salute at Pink. "My diamond, after you."

Pink diamond bit her lip, but slowly walked into the room. When everyone tried to follow her, Jasper stepped in front of them. "Stop. Only my diamond needs to be-"

Her voice was cut off by Pink diamond. "No. Jasper, let Steven in. He may be able to show them what I mean."

A nod came from Jasper, and she looked at Steven. Her eyes looked angry, and she gave him a sneer.

Steven slowly followed Pink, and Jasper stepped back in front of the others. They all looked at her angrily, and Amethyst spoke. "Hey, what the heck, man! You can't just let him go. He's a kid!"

When she tried to moved Jasper punched her in the stomach, sending her flying. "Stay back, runt! You need to learn some respect."

Pink looked back at them. "Please, just stay there, everyone. I'm sure I will return shortly."

She started to walk ahead, and Steven slowly followed her. "Pink? What's going to happen?"

The diamond shook her head. "I'm not sure."

Steven nervously grabbed at his gem, feeling a pit in his stomach. As they walked into the main area, Pink tensed up. There were three other gems all sitting in large chairs. He nervously looked up at them, and felt fear building.

One of them was yellow, and was glaring down at Pink. There was electricity sparking around her. Another was blue, and she had her hand over her mouth. There were tears running down her cheeks. The last one was white. She was blindingly shiny, and much taller than the other two. She had an eerie smile on her face.

Pink diamond shifted on her feet, and said nothing. White diamond spoke first, her tone calm. "Starlight. After all this time, you've come back. Did you have fun? Did you get everything out of your system?"

She looked at them, with a determined shine in her eyes. "I need to tell you-"

Now, Yellow spoke, angrily smashing her fist on the arm of her chair. It left cracks in the stone. "You aren't able to tell us anything! How could you do this, Pink!? Why did you let us think you were shattered?!"

At that, Pink sighed, and tried to speak again. "I had to. You would have never listened-"

Blue diamond let out a sob, and a wave of blue energy moved through the room. "Pink...! Oh Pink, why did you do this? After all this time...all this grieving. Thousands of years of pain. What were you thinking?"

When she tried to speak again, White cut her off before she could anything out. "There is nothing for you to say, Pink. You will be under harsh restrictions, and will not be allowed to command any gems. There will be consequences for this little game of yours."

Now, White cast her eyes to Steven. "And what is this? A little pet?"

Pink diamond spoke now, anger flaring in her voice. "No! His name is Steven! And he is what can happen on Earth!"

An annoyed huff came from Yellow. "It's an organic, just like the others. What makes it so special?"

Blue diamond shook her head. "This is what you left for? A planet full of organics?"

Steven's hand tightened around his gem, and he felt sweat coat his body. His legs shook slightly, and he looked at Pink desperately. "Pink diamond...?"

She nodded at him, giving him a sharp look. "He's not just an organic. He's a gem."

Yellow diamond glared at him. "If that's the case, he is very un-appealing."

Blue diamond just stayed quiet, and looked away from them.

White narrowed her eyes slightly. "A gem? What are you?"

His body trembled even more, but he slowly dropped his hand. "My...my name is Steven Garnet Universe. I'm a gem. And Pink diamond lives with me on Earth. She shouldn't be kept here!"

Now, Blue gave him a hard look. "A garnet? You call yourself a garnet? Don't be ridiculous."

Yellow had electricity building around her again. "Pink! Explain this!"

Pink diamond stepped in front of Steven. "He is the result of a human and a gem. They fell in love, and created him. He is living proof that organics and gems can live in harmony."

Now White frowned, and glared at Pink. "You created some filthy organic-gem fusion? Pink, this is unacceptable."

She shook her head. "I didn't create him. And he is not a fusion. He is his own being."

A sigh escaped White. "Don't be ridiculous Pink! It seems your time on Earth has warped your sense of right. As such..."

There was a white bubble that appeared from the floor. When it disappeared there was a pearl wearing black, with a cracked eye.

White diamond looked down at her. "Pearl, take Pink to the tower. And throw the organic, and Pink's gems to her room. Leave them there."

The pearl spoke, her voice sounding just like White's. "Right away, my diamond."

Pink gasped, and looked at Steven frantically. "Wait! You can't just leave them! He needs food, and-"

A gasp escaped Steven as the pearl floated towards her. He got in front of her quickly. "S-stay back...!"

His gauntlets appeared, and he glared the the pearl

She said nothing, and faded through him. A gasp escaped him and two white bubbles surrounded them.

Steven angrily pounded on the walls of the bubble. "No! Let me out!"

The bubble moved and, he fell backwards. Within seconds, Amethyst, and Pearl were absorbed into the bubble.

Pearl grabbed his arm. "What happened?!"

Amethyst pulled her whip out, and started angrily hitting the walls.

He shook his head, and held his gem again. "They took her. To a tower. They're going to drop us in her room and leave us..."

The bubble suddenly popped and they were in a room full of pink bubbles. They all looked at each other, and Steven felt his eyes well with tears. "What do we do...?"

Pearl shook her head, and landed on her knees. "I don't know..."


	9. All alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the group can do is wait in Pink's room.  
> Peridot has plans for them but they don't co-operate, so she uses force.  
> Steven is left all alone

Pearl had paced, and rambled on for quite a while. "Oh, how could I let Pink leave? I should have fought to stay with her! I should be protecting her! I shouldn't be stuck here!"

Amethyst seemed to just shut down, staring at nothing. Her eyes were wide, and she was sitting sown. Her hair covered most of her face, but Steven could still see the fear in her eyes. She wouldn't respond to anything he, or Pearl said.

He just started to think over everything. His mind raced, and swirled. All of his thoughts were jumbled, and he felt nothing but a deep hopelessness.

His stomach rumbled, and he sighed slightly. "Pearl? What do we do for food? Gems don't need to eat, so I'm assuming there isn't food anywhere on the planet, right?"

She stopped rambling, and looked at him. "Oh! Right, well. Since you have been going on more and more missions, I started keeping some basic human necessities in my gem. I have some simple toiletries, some blankets, some pillows, and clothes. I have enough food and water for...maybe a month. But you'll have to stretch it out...and I'm not sure what you could do for bathing. That is not really a necessity here. Our gemstones are usually polished once every two thousand years. And no human soaps are used."

Now, Amethyst shot up to her feet angrily. "What do you mean? How can you have so little food?! A month!? Pearl, humans can't live without food and water! You know that! Why'd you waste so much space on clothes? What are we going to do if they just don't even check on us in years!? We have to fight or something!"

A tired sigh escaped Pearl. Her voice was strained. "I don't know! I'm trying, Amethyst! I never prepared for something like this! And, I'd love to fight them, but we don't even know where to start! Homeworld is so advanced, and we are definitely the enemy here! There are more important things to worry about than food!"

Steven quickly shook his head. "Forget it! I'm not that hungry! I'll just...sleep it off. I'm sure they'll check on us soon. If we are Pink's friends, they have to listen to her. Right? She's a diamond..."

Pearl just stayed quiet, her eyes hollow, and empty. The look on her face was full of nerves, and fear. Steven did not like seeing the usually cool gem so manic. It wasn't normal.

With a frown, Steven just sat in the corner. A few tears built in his eyes again. After a while, he was able to fall into an uneasy asleep.

He jerked awake suddenly, as he heard Amethyst's voice.

She sounded angry. "No way! Why would we ever trust you!? You were the one that brought us here!"

Pearl was also angry. "Where is Rose?! What have you done with her?!"

Now, he stood to his feet quickly, and saw Peridot standing at the entrance.

She sounded annoyed. "Look, Pink diamond has been very vocal. She told any gem she could that the 'Steven' requires nutrients. The other diamonds are all very frustrated with her. So, my diamond told me to provide Pink's pearl with plenty of nutrients. You are to store the fruit in your gem, and produce them when he is in need."

A bunch of robonoids walked in, and lowered a bunch of different fruit to the ground. All of the fruit was strangely angular. And the fruit was a strange color. They looked like apples, and oranges. However, instead of being red, green or orange, the fruits were all dark blue.

Pearl looked offended. "I don't belong to anyone! I'm not her pearl! I am my own gem!"

Now, Peridot started to laugh at that. "Oh, please! You're a pearl! You're made to serve. So, do as your diamond says, and care for the 'Steven.' I'm sure if you disrupt or go against these orders, not even Pink can protect you, you clod."

Steven gave her an upset look. "Don't talk to Pearl like that! She is Rose's friend, not her servant!"

Peridot rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You're just a 'Steven.' You can't possibly understand how things work here. Now then, on to business. The defective Amethyst will follow me. Pink diamond convinced the others to spare her. So, with the help of limb enhancers, she will be a soldier."

At that, Amethyst snorted at her. "Yeah right! Like I'd ever join you!"

She folded her arms, glaring at the green gem.

After a few seconds, Peridot pulled up a screen. The robonoids marched towards Amethyst.

Pearl quickly got in front of her. "We won't be held under Homeworld's rules! We are the Crystal Gems!"

Peridot grumbled slightly, and pulled out a gem de-stabilizer. "You'll be under heavy surveillance after this."

Instead of running at her, she put the tool in the arm of her limb enhancer. It charged a ball of energy, and when it shot at Pearl, she tried to strike it with her spear.

The beam immediately dis-spelled her weapon. It hit her, and she poofed with a yell.

Amethyst glared at Peridot, and rolled into a ball. As she charged her, another burst came from the beam, and her form disappeared as well.

One of her robonoids collected her gem. They all marched out of the room.

Steven glared at Peridot. "What is wrong with you!? What did they ever do to you?"

Peridot rolled her eyes, her voice sarcastic. "Oh, nothing much. They just faked a diamond shattering! And stopped an entire colony from being built. Oh, and not to mention the complete ruining of thousands of gems. But like I said, you're a 'Steven.' You wouldn't understand. Now, I have a job to do. Thankfully, you have some nutrients now. Don't cause trouble. And keep that pearl in line. Even a filthy organic fusion has higher rank than a pearl."

She left, and Steven felt tears running down his face.

He grabbed pearl's gem, and sat down. Steven laid on the ground, and looked over her gemstone.

There were no cracks, and he sighed. "Pearl, you gotta come back soon. I need you..."

After a while, he fell back to sleep, this time his sleep was restless, and full of discomfort.

His hunger was long forgotten by now. All he could think of was what he'd do. How he'd try to protect everyone, especially now.

He hoped Pink was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will continue eventually. It is just hard to write on mobile


	10. Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update

I have a job now! So this will go on the back burner. more than it already was


End file.
